List of MythBusters special episodes

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The cast of the television series MythBusters performs experiments to verify or debunk urban legends, old wives' tales, and the like. This is a list of the various myths tested on the show as well as the results of the experiments (the myth is Busted, Plausible, or Confirmed).

The myths the show has tested for accuracy include:

Contents

[edit] Pilots

[edit] Pilot 1 — "Jet Assisted Chevy, Pop Rocks and Soda"

Myth statement Status Notes
A car with a JATO rocket attached can speed up to 300 mph (480 km/h), become airborne, and impact with the side of a cliff. Busted Adam and Jamie could not acquire real JATO rockets from the Air Force. As such, they used 3 amateur rocket motors of equivalent power to one JATO rocket. The rockets increased the speed of the car (a 1967 Chevrolet Impala) considerably. Although no speed measurement was made, the speed was clearly nowhere near the 300 mph suggested in the myth. The car also did not become airborne. This myth was revisited in the supersized myths special.
Eating and drinking large quantities of Pop Rocks and cola will cause one's stomach to explode. Busted There was not enough carbon dioxide produced by the reaction to make a stomach explode. However, with six cans of cola and six packages of Pop Rocks, the subject would experience considerable pain. This was also done at a special presentation at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Also, in a similar myth dealing with Mentos and soda, it was learned that the simple act of drinking the soda released most of the carbon dioxide in it, rendering the reaction between soda and Mentos (or Pop Rocks) much less powerful than normal.

[edit] Pilot 2 — "Vacuum Toilet, Biscuit Bazooka, Leaping Lawyer"

Myth statement Status Notes
An obese person can get stuck on an airline vacuum toilet. Busted It is impossible to get a perfect seal on a modern airplane toilet, and even if it is possible a properly working toilet provides suction for only a few seconds. Even then, the suction (3 psi) is not beyond human ability to overcome.
A woman was struck in the head with an exploding tin of biscuit dough, believing that she was in fact struck by a bullet. Plausible The dough can blow out of many types of biscuit cans at a car's internal temperature of 150 °F (60 °C) with enough force to potentially strike the driver of the car in the back of the head, and has a texture and consistency when thawed that can be mistaken for brain matter by the average person. However, no one can actually verify the incident actually occurred. This myth has inspired two spinoff myths: one in Myths Revisited and one in MythBusters Revisited.
A lawyer accidentally killed himself by running through the plate-glass window of the 24th floor of his office building. Confirmed At a run speed of 5.7 mph (9.17 km/h), a 160 lb (64 kg) subject was able to smash through a pressurized plate glass window. The incident was confirmed by a journalist to have actually occurred in Toronto, and the incident was awarded a Darwin Award.

[edit] Pilot 3 — "Larry's Lawn Chair Balloon, Poppy Seed Drug Test, Goldfinger"

Myth statement Status Notes
Covering your body in gold paint can kill you by skin asphyxiation like in the James Bond movie Goldfinger. Busted Jamie was covered in gold paint from head to toe and lasted over an hour, he reported a slight (and temporary) flu-like feeling and his blood pressure went up 20 points. However, he survived. He was denied permission by medical advisors to test the paint's breathability by running on a treadmill. The myth stated that the actress portraying the gold plated woman in Goldfinger, Shirley Eaton, died as well, although her appearance in the episode busted that part of the myth. Shirley Eaton is not dead as of 2008 according to IMDB [1]
Larry Walters flew a lawn chair by means of weather balloons, and descended safely by means of an airgun. Confirmed Adam Savage went up in the MythBuster's rig, which was a lawn chair with 16 plastic weather balloons attached, and went up to the maximum height that could be obtained with the safety ropes attached, 75 feet (22.5 m). He safely descended by shooting out some of the balloons. The actual event behind the myth was verified by documents provided by the FAA.
Eating poppy seed bagels or poppy seed cake can cause one to test positive for heroin and/or opium on a drug test. Confirmed Heroin is a semi-synthetic opiate made from Morphine. If a test is sensitive enough it can generate a false positive simply by detecting the poppy seeds. Lawsuits have actually been filed and settled due to this phenomenon.

[edit] Recaps

[edit] "Best Animal Myths"

This episode recapped three myths involving animal appearances busted in the first season of the show.

  1. Chicken Gun (Season 1, Episode 9)
  2. Goldfish Memory (Season 1, Episode 11)
  3. Does a Duck's Quack Echo? (Season 1, Episode 8)

[edit] "Best Electric Myths"

This episode recapped three myths involving electricity shown in the first season of the show.

  1. Peeing on the Third Rail (Season 1, Episode 3)
  2. Lightning Strikes Tongue Piercing (Season 1, Episode 6)
  3. Deadly Microwaves (Season 1, Episode 4)

[edit] "Best Explosions"

This episode recapped four of the most explosive myths busted in first season of the show.

  1. Cell Phones and Gas Stations (Season 1, episode 2)
  2. Raccoon Rocket (Season 1, episode 7)
  3. Tree Cannon (Season 1, episode 6)
  4. Exploding Toilet (Season 1, episode 1)

[edit] Specials

[edit] Special 1 — "Viewers Choice Christmas Special"

In this episode, Adam and Jamie test holiday-related myths while revealing the top ten myths as voted upon by fans of the series. The top ten were:

  1. Tree Cannon (Season 1, episode 6)
  2. Rocket Car (Pilot 1)
  3. Escape from Alcatraz (Season 1, episode 8)
  4. Stinky Car (Season 1, episode 7)
  5. Barrel of Bricks (Season 1, episode 3)
  6. Lawn Chair Larry (Pilot 3)
  7. Pop Rocks and Soda (Pilot 1)
  8. Beat the Breath Test (Season 1, episode 6)
  9. Chicken Gun (Season 1, episode 9)
  10. CD-ROM Shattering (Season 1, episode 2)

Holiday Myths:

Myth statement Status Notes
A frozen turkey can explode if it is dropped into deep fryer pot too fast. Busted While it will not explode, the turkey can cause the boiling oil to splash all over the place (which can be extremely dangerous) if it is dropped into the deep fryer improperly.
Placing a silver spoon in a bottle of champagne will make the bubbles last longer. Busted The spoon actually reduces the fizziness of champagne. In a blind taste test when compared to several controls (opened champagne, re-corked champagne and unopened champagne) both Adam and Jamie ranked the spooned champagne the lowest in terms of fizziness.
A falling icicle can kill a person. Confirmed An icicle over 1.5 feet (45 cm) in length falling from about 15 feet completely penetrated a steak, showing that it is possible for an icicle to kill a person.
A clothed snowman melts slower than a naked one. Confirmed In the 80 °F (25°C) San Francisco summer heat, the naked snowman (representing Jamie) melted considerably faster than the clothed snowman (representing Adam). The clothes on the Adam snowman protected it from the heat and acted as insulation to help keep the temperature of the snow from rising.
A urine stream can freeze in the cold of winter. Busted When tested in a freezer at -70 °F (-50 °C) the fake urine stream the MythBusters used did not freeze in midair.
Lighting a fireplace can make one's house colder. Confirmed Whilst the living room was heated, the kitchen and other rooms got almost 3 degrees colder.

[edit] Special 2 — "Buster Special"

In this episode, Adam and Jamie re-lived Buster's finest moments, from his introduction in Exploding Toilet (Season 1, episode 1) to his ultimate demise (supposedly in Ming Dynasty Astronaut, Season 2, episode 24), and showed the construction of the new "Buster 2.0". These moments include:

  • Exploding Toilet (Season 1, episode 1)
  • Barrel of Bricks (Season 1, episode 3)
  • Hammer Drop (Season 1, episode 5)
  • Raccoon Rocket (Season 1, episode 7)
  • The Mad Trombonist (Season 1, episode 11)
  • Forest Fire Scuba Diver (Season 2, episode 15)
  • Elevator of Death (Season 2, episode 17)
  • Boom Lift Catapult (Season 2, episode 22)
  • Plywood Builder (Season 2, episode 18)
  • Ming Dynasty Astronaut (Season 2, episode 24)

[edit] Special 3 — "Ultimate MythBuster"

In this episode, Adam and Jamie competed in a series of arguably ludicrous tests and competitions to determine which of the two was the "Ultimate MythBuster". These competitions tested their ingenuity, constitution, and courage to see just how far they were willing to go to claim the title of "Ultimate MythBuster".

Challenge Winner Notes
Challenge 1: Build a machine that can shoot a tortilla as far as possible. Jamie Adam and Jamie had to first construct machines. Adam had built an arm out of wood. His machine took the tortilla and threw it between two aluminum plates. Jamie designed and built a cannon, made from pipe and a compressed air tank. Adam used all three attempts allowed by the competition rules and his best shot was 60 feet (18 metres). In Jamie's first (and only) shot the tortilla was projected 73 feet (21.9 metres).
Challenge 2: The fear test. Draw The East Bay Vivarium presented a myriad of creatures (Corn Snakes, Tarantulas, African Emperor Scorpions and a Tanzanian Giant Millipede) to test the Mythbusters' courage. The scorpions had the most effect on the two, but in this challenge no winner was determined.
Challenge 3: Guess the weight of three items. Adam Adam and Jamie had to guess the weight of three items: a toy car, an angel statue, and a hatch from a plane. Both were to wager two guesses, the first by observing the item, the second by holding it. Adam guessed more accurately on all three occasions.
Challenge 4: Build a device to drop an egg (without breaking it) with help of two oranges, two latex gloves, paper, five feet (1.5 meters) of tape, twenty feet (six meters) of string, and "other assorted trash found lying around the workshop". Jamie Adam created a cone made of paper. He put an orange on the bottom and the egg was placed inside the inflated gloves. He had two tries to drop the egg without breaking it. Jamie first ate his orange, and put the egg inside the orange peel. The orange went in one glove, and he tied it to a string. At the other end of the string he affixed the five feet (1.5 metres) of tape. With this approach he could drop the suspended egg from only a few feet off the ground via the string/tape. It was successful. Adam protested, but Jamie was the winner, as this was a contest of ingenuity.
Challenge 5: Who possessed the higher threshold of pain was determined in a paintball standoff. Jamie The Mythbusters must shoot the other, after one shot they must take a step closer and shoot again.
  • The first volley: Jamie hit Adam's navel, Adam hit Jamie in the thigh.
  • The second volley: Jamie shot Adam, once again hitting his navel. Adam hit Jamie in his protective cup.
  • The third volley: Jamie, for a perfect record, hit Adam again, in the navel. Adam forfeited.
Final challenge 6: The MythBusters-episode Quiz Jamie Adam and Jamie quizzed each other regarding the events during some of the previous episodes. Adam had 4 and a half questions correct. Jamie won with 5 correct answers.
Scores Jamie 4.5 Adam 1.5
Winner Jamie

[edit] Special 4 — "MythBusters Outtakes"

In this episode, outtakes and other deleted scenes were shown, which included some failed experiments or extra experiments that had to be trimmed out of the show for time and relevancy reasons. Clips edited out of shows previously aired include:

  • Ping Pong Rescue, in which a sea otter manages to interfere with the experiment by stealing some of the ping-pong balls
  • Plywood Builder, where Jamie had trouble with working with the zip line and Christine flat out refused to do the zip line.
  • Chinese Water Torture, where Tory and Kari each had a turn on the torture rack - Kari with a blindfold and head restraint, and Tory with a head restraint, shackles, and a stream of iced water.
  • Buried Alive, where Adam and a producer each try the experiment, neither able to match Jamie's time in the coffin.
  • Cement Removal, where Tory tries to remove concrete from Twister I with a jackhammer, and only barely filling the bottom of the bucket after an hour of work.
  • Needle in a Haystack, where Adam, before settling on the Needlefinder 2000, considers using a sieve, a metal detector and a bloodhound to find the needles.
  • Escape from Alcatraz, where Adam and Jamie explore the idea that the escape raft washed ashore on Angel Island after making it to the Marin Headlands as a way to throw the FBI off the convicts' trail. Using a scale model of the San Francisco Bay area, it was determined the tide could have washed the raft onto Angel Island if released from the Marin Headlands, but as with the theory of the escape's success, no concrete evidence exists to prove or disprove the theory.
  • Carried Away, in which the Build Team use a pressure chamber to determine the height above sea level at which party balloons would pop. The balloons burst at an altitude of between 23,000 and 25,000 feet.
  • Eelskin Wallet, in which Adam and Jamie test neodymium magnets to see whether they had the desired effect. The data were successfully erased in just one swipe. This segment was left out due to them not being able to properly assess the power of the magnets. The magnetometer used in testing the strengths of the other items ceased functioning when a Neodymium magnet was held near it.
  • Bug Bomb, in which Adam and Jamie test whether sawdust, flour, straw, or fake smoke could have also caused an explosion if a spark was nearby. None of the materials tested could fully ignite, though sawdust and flour did burn slightly, and reports of flour and saw mill explosions have been confirmed.
  • Elevator of Death, in which the elevator expert answered questions on whether pressing elevator buttons can make the elevator move faster, whether someone can be decapitated by a closing elevator door, and whether zero-g can be attained by jumping in an elevator (answer: no to all three questions).

At the end (or beginning) of each chapter, Adam and Jamie destroy the tapes supposedly containing the relevant outtakes. Ways they destroyed them included cutting them with a chainsaw, smashing it with a sledgehammer, freezing them in liquid nitrogen and smashing them to the floor, firing a bullet through a long row of tapes, using black powder to blow it up and finally simply burning the whole pile. As they were standard VHS cassettes, it is very unlikely they contained any useful production footage on them (Digital Betacam tapes were probably used for actual recordings).

Six of the deleted segments, titled as the "Lost Experiments" are available on the Discovery Channel website. [2]

Original myths that were completely edited out include:

Myth statement Status Notes
Free Energy - It is possible to get free (stolen) energy by using a coil of baling wire positioned under a power line. Partly Plausible For this myth the MythBusters created a large coil of wire, and wrapped it around a PVC pipe box. They then hoisted it underneath powerlines in order to "catch" some electricity. They were able to obtain about eight millivolts of electricity. They determined that siphoning a practically useful amount of electricity in such a manner would require thousands of pounds of wire, and would be extremely impractical and dangerous, as well as being illegal.
Cola Myths - Cola can be used as a toilet cleaner. Busted For this myth, Adam dirtied M5's bathroom with engine oil in preparation for the cleanup. Jamie was greatly upset at this, but Adam assured him he'd be able to clean it. The cola did nothing to the grease; in fact, even if it did, Adam noted he would have to clean up the cola, afterwards, making the job more tedious than it was. Normal bathroom cleaner managed to clean the grease up.
Exploding Tattoos - A radio transmitter can cause tattoos to explode. Busted The MythBusters built a small, low power transmitter, as a real one was too dangerous. They used two containers, one with water (control) and one with tattoo ink. They activated the transmitter, which managed to interfere with a radio in the workshop, and left it running. At the end of the test, the temperature of both liquids were almost the same. The tattoo ink was only half a degree warmer.
Peeing on the Third Rail - A train can be derailed if coins are placed on the rails. Busted The train simply heated and flattened the pennies. Quoting narrator Rob Lee, "The myth wasn't Busted—it was Flattened." Even the train conductor assessed that the myth wasn't possible, unless the penny "was lodged in the conductor's eye".

[edit] Special 5 — "Shop Till You Drop"

This episode explored some of the MythBusters' favorite stores and vendors that they use when buying supplies for the show. The episode also included a tutorial on how to make ballistics gel by Adam and Kari (which is constantly used in the MythBusters' experiments), and revealed the source of the often referenced "Little Black Book," the Pocket Ref.

[edit] Special 6 — "MythBusters Revealed"

This episode took a behind-the-scenes look at the show. It featured insights from and interviews with Adam, Jamie, Kari, Tory and producer Peter Rees.

[edit] Special 7 — "Hollywood on Trial"

The MythBusters test some of the pervasive myths that are created by Hollywood, as well as recall some of their past Hollywood-inspired myths. This special also marks the debut of Grant Imahara as the third member of the Build Team.

Myth statement Status Notes
Bullets will spark when ricocheting off other objects. Partly Confirmed After several tries and mistakes, they manage to make it work. With a photo of Adam and Jamie as target, Kari shot a bullet at it, while Grant shoots the paint balls (filled with powdered sparkler) and Tory watches them spark. Extremely improbable, but it can be done (but not with real bullets).
The aluminum paint used on actor Jack Haley while portraying the Tin Man in the 1939 movie version of The Wizard of Oz caused an adverse reaction that hospitalized him. Busted Kari survived her aluminum paint session just like Jamie survived his gold paint session when testing the Goldfinger myth. The myth is true, but not as told. Actor Buddy Ebsen (better known later from The Beverly Hillbillies) was originally cast in the role of the Tin Man. Ebsen suffered a near-fatal allergic reaction and was hospitalized for two weeks after inhaling aluminum powder from an experimental aluminum makeup. After the aluminum makeup incident, Ebsen was replaced by actor Jack Haley and the makeup was replaced by an aluminum paint. Haley went on to complete his role as the Tin Man without suffering any serious health issues, except for one time when some paint got in his eye.
It is possible for a medium-to-large build man to break through a wooden doorframe on his own power. Plausible Using only his shoulder, Jamie was able to break through three of the four locks installed on the doorframe the Build Team constructed that met the American Building Code standards. The only reason the fourth lock did not break was because the Build Team used stronger screws to anchor it into the frame than what came with the actual lock. Adam attempted to break the fourth lock with a dropkick but slipped on a mat in front of the door and fell on his back instead. Still, considering that Jamie got so far by simply shoulder-ramming, a determined individual could easily break through.
It is possible to be thrown through a glass window and walk away without a scratch just like in Hollywood movies. Partly Busted While it is possible to fly through an ⅛ inch glass pane with little or no injuries, ¼ inch glass is thick enough to inflict significant lacerations on a body, should one be thrown through it. In Hollywood, a breakaway faux-glass substance called sugar glass is used in stunts requiring an actor to be thrown through a window. Sugar glass does not fracture into sharp fragments like real glass does and does not injure stunt performers.
It is possible to ignite a pool of gasoline using only a cigarette. Partly Plausible A cigarette has the potential to light a pool of gasoline but just doesn't have enough sustained heat. Gas ignites between 500 °F and 540 °F, the cigarette at its hottest was between 450 °F and 500 °F but only when it was actually being smoked. An ignition is very improbable.

[edit] Special 8 — "JAWS Special"

As part of Discovery Channel's Shark Week (which Adam and Jamie hosted in 2005), the MythBusters test myths relating to the movie Jaws with the help of a "ShaRammer" designed to simulate the force of a Great White Shark. This is also the first MythBusters special to run for two hours rather than one. More recent reruns have tended to show a version edited down to one hour. The episode is also referred to as the "Shark Special".[1]

Myth statement Status Notes
If a pressurized scuba tank is shot, it will explode. Busted When the tank was punctured by a bullet it simply decompressed quickly, causing it to fly around like a compressed-air rocket. The team was only able to make the tank explode in the end by using explosives.
A Great White Shark can pull barrels underwater. Plausible A shark's maximum striking force is great enough to pull the barrels under.
A Great White Shark can pull barrels underwater and hold them there. Busted The force a shark can generate in a continuous pull is insufficient to keep the barrels under water for a significant amount of time.
A Great White Shark can ram a dive cage with enough force to damage or destroy it. Confirmed The "ShaRammer" penetrated the cage with enough force to rip a significant part of it loose and carry it away on its body. The cage was completely destroyed. It should be noted that the cage used was a replicant of the cage used in the film.
A Great White Shark can ram a boat with enough force to punch a hole in it. Confirmed A Great White has enough power to punch a hole in the side of a wooden boat under the right circumstances, but an example of this happening has never been documented.
A Great White Shark can pull a boat backwards with great enough speed that waves break over the stern. Busted The same reason why the shark cannot hold the barrels underwater continuously.
Punching a shark in the nose, eyes, or gills will cause it to flee or at least back off briefly. Plausible The sharks punched by both a specially modified Buster, and by Jamie were driven off briefly and were hesitant about making repeated approaches. Strikes to the gills were noted to be more effective than strikes to the nose.
Sharks can be caught using a special piano wire. (from a deleted scene in Jaws) Busted Piano wire doesn't have the tensile strength needed to be used as an adequate shark-catching lure.

[edit] Special 9 — "Mega Movie Myths 2 Hour Special"

Adam, Jamie, Buster, and the Build Team are watching movie Myths they have done in the past, and decide to dedicate a whole episode to them.

Myth statement Status Notes
The Dukes of Hazzard: A car can jump a significant distance using a pile of dirt as a ramp and land with minimal damage or loss of momentum. Busted The car managed to jump 172 feet (51.6 metres), three feet (90 cm) short of the estimated distance of the gorge jumped in the movie. However, the car crashed nose-down and the front and engine were crumpled, busting the myth (and the car). It is somewhat widely-known that stunt cars rarely survive the bigger jumps (and must subsequently be scrapped), see the The General Lee article for details.
Big Trouble in Little China: A lock can be broken by shooting it with handguns. Busted The 9mm pistol and the .357 Magnum failed to open either the padlocks or the deadbolts.
Various movies: A lock can be broken by shooting it with shotgun slugs or high-powered rifle ammunition. Plausible Both types of ammunition were able to disable the locks by completely obliterating them. However, the MythBusters note that this lock-busting method would be very dangerous in real life due to ricochet or spalling. Because of this hazard, military and SWAT units use a special shotgun cartridge called a breaching round to break through doors.
Goldfinger or Austin Powers in Goldmember: A car can be equipped with a discreet ejector seat. Plausible A pneumatic ejector seat fitted into a boxy Toyota car seemed to fool most of the people who inspected it, and the seat successfully launched a test dummy out of the car. However, the design of the car plays a huge role in concealability, which is why Jamie and Adam opted for a roomier, boxier car rather than one of the flashy and sleek sports cars often seen in spy movies. Sports cars have windshields that extend partially over the front seats, making it difficult for an ejector seat to properly launch without hitting the frame.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: A person can fall through layers of awnings and survive. Plausible Buster was broken into pieces during the fall, but "survived" his fall (according to the shock sensors) with less-than-lethal (but still serious) "injuries". Tory then demonstrated the movie method of using pre-cut awnings and safety wires. (Adam was originally slated to perform the stunt, but was stopped at the last minute due to insurance reasons.)
Underworld: One can escape through a floor by shooting a ring through it. Busted A fully-automatic MP5 failed to break through the support beams in any reasonable amount of time, even with the assistance of a 12-gauge shotgun. This method also wastes a lot of ammunition; Tory had to fire all of his 360 rounds of ammunition. Finally, due to the close proximity of the shots to the shooter, flying debris and the possibility of ricochets makes this method extremely dangerous.
The Count of Monte Cristo: A sword can cut off the blade of another sword. Busted A genuine Japanese-constructed katana did slice through the replica stainless-steel sword. It also broke another genuine sword, but this break was caused by stress fracturing rather than being cut through. Katana vs. Rapier: Rapier was bent into snapping, but not cut. Claymore vs. Katana: Katana flexed but didn't break. Claymore vs. Viking sword: Viking sword severely nicked the Claymore. In the end, though some swords managed to break the other, none were able to actually cut through another sword.
A spinoff myth was tested in More Myths Revisited.
Unofficial Myth: The Mythbusters really know how to ruin a movie. Confirmed Tory storms out at the end of the special and says, "You guys really know how to ruin a movie," to which Adam replies, "That is confirmed." (Ironically, this was the only confirmed myth of the special).

[edit] Special 10 — "MythBusters Holiday Special"

The MythBusters turn to holiday myths once again.

If a frozen turkey falls, it can...

Myth statement Status Notes
...crush a foot. Confirmed The frozen turkey completely crushed a ballistics gel foot, breaking many of the simulated bones embedded in it.
...crush a dog or cat. Plausible Two ballistics gel replicas of dogs were used and were completely crushed. When taken to a vet for analysis, the vet stated that if the dogs managed to survive their injuries, their prognosis would not be good. The myth was deemed plausible because the MythBusters were unable (and unwilling) to test the myth on real animals.

The following myths state that a turkey can be cooked with...

Myth statement Status Notes
...a microwave radio. Busted The MythBusters were unable to attach the turkey to a full size radio antenna, though the manager stated that the antenna only used several watts of power compared to the several hundred used by microwaves. The MythBusters then tried to test the myth on a smaller vehicle-mounted microwave dish, but the only heating resulted from sitting in the sun.
...a radar. Busted The MythBusters attached the turkey to the spinning radar antenna on the SS Jeremiah O'Brien, but when measured, they found that the turkey actually lost heat. Frustrated with the lack of results, Tory inserted an explosive stuffing into the turkey and put it in a microwave, resulting in a large explosion.

The MythBusters tried several household methods in an attempt to prevent a freshly-cut Christmas tree from shedding its needles over six weeks. One can keep needles from falling off the Christmas tree by adding...

Myth statement Status Notes
...fertilizer. Busted Fertilized Christmas trees lost the most amount of needles and they became very discolored.
...bleach. Plausible tied with nitric oxide at least amount of needles lost, but the tree looked sickly.
...lemon lime soda. Plausible in the middle
...pain reliever. Plausible in the middle
...nitric oxide from Viagra, referred to as "Santa's Little Helper" on-show, as brand names are never mentioned on the show. Plausible tied with bleach at least amount of needles lost, but the tree looked sickly.
...hairspray. Confirmed Declared the winner for being both the best looking and among the best in terms of controlling needle loss, though the added flammability of the hairspray to the drying Christmas tree could increase the tree's natural fire hazard risk.
...urethane. Plausible in the middle
...nothing (control). Busted worse than everything but fertilizer

[edit] Diet Coke & Mentos II: Rube Goldberg Machine

Myth statement Status Notes
The MythBusters can build a successful holiday-themed Rube Goldberg machine within a week's time. Confirmed Though not an actual myth, the MythBusters decided it would be fun to build a holiday-themed Rube Goldberg machine. Using various household objects such as Mentos, diet coke, a bowling ball, various toys, and a roast turkey, the MythBusters appeared to create a successful Rube Goldberg machine that knocked Buster out of a chair after several tries. In the unedited version of one take (on the MythBusters Discovery website, probably the 2nd trial from the episode), it is shown that problems with the objects prevented the machine from running smoothly on its own, prompting the MythBusters to force it to work all the way through. Finally on the 10th trial, they successfully make the machine work all by itself. Although they do have much experience with creating Rube Goldberg machines in the past, the time constraint given for this particular one almost proved too much for them to handle (usually, it takes them 2-3 weeks to build a machine and a few days to shoot it; with this particular one, they only had a week to build and shoot it).

[edit] Special 11 — "Pirate Special"

Myth statement Status Notes
The splinter fragmentation caused by a cannonball's impact with the wooden hull of a pirate ship can kill more pirates than direct impacts with the cannonball itself. Busted Using a simple air cannon and four pig corpses, the MythBusters proved that a cannonball could penetrate at least four pigs with a single shot. However, when fired at a wooden wall, the splinters did not have enough power to pierce any of the pigs. In order to fully confirm or bust the myth, the MythBusters used an authentic Civil War era cannon. Through preliminary testing, they proved that the Civil War cannon was significantly more powerful than the air cannon. However, when fired at the wooden wall, none of the splinters managed to penetrate the pigs with enough force to be lethal. Therefore, the MythBusters concluded that getting hit with a cannonball was more deadly than the splinters it creates.
Pirates wore eyepatches to preserve night vision in one eye. Plausible This myth works under the assumption that the eye covered with the eyepatch is already accustomed to low light conditions, while the other eye must take time to accustom. The MythBusters were sent into a pirate-themed obstacle course (which was dark, and Adam and Jamie had not seen the course in light, let alone the layout) with light-accustomed eyes and were told to complete certain objectives. Their movements were hampered by the darkness and it took them five minutes to finish. When they went back in with an eye that was covered for thirty minutes, the MythBusters were able to complete the test in a fraction of the time. As a control test, the MythBusters then went back into the same exact room with light-accustomed eyes and ran into the same difficulty as the first test. The myth was deemed plausible because there is no recorded historical precedent for this myth.
A person can safely slow a fall by using a knife to cut a sail. Busted Through various small scale tests, the MythBusters found that sails were not made in one piece, but in fact had a number of seams where the sail was folded over into several layers, making them harder to cut. Also, the sharpness of the knife plays a major role in the myth. If the knife is too sharp, the pirate falls too fast. If the knife is too dull, it would be unable to cut through the seams. In the full scale test, Tory attempted the myth himself by using a moderately sharp knife on a full-size sail. However, every time he attempted the myth, his knife would hit the seam and pop out of the sail. In the end, the MythBusters concluded that there is no possible way that a pirate's knife would be able to be at the perfect balance between dullness and sharpness to safely cut through a sail.
Pirates used rum as a means of cleaning clothes in addition to drinking it. Busted Using rum, modern detergent, period soap, and even urine (allowed to become stale and transform into ammonia), the MythBusters tested to see if rum could be used to clean up blood, tar, and orange stains on fabric. However, after the tests, the results were the modern detergent and urine doing fairly well, but almost no effect from the period soap and rum. Also, Jamie jokingly points out that pirates would more likely drink the rum rather than use it to clean their clothes.

[edit] Special 12 — "Snow Special"

The following myths state that an avalanche can be caused by...

Myth statement Status Notes
...yodeling. Busted While the small-scale experiments indicated that aimed at the right place, an amplified voice can set off an avalanche, in the final test, no amount of yodeling by a professional yodeler could elicit a response. The yodeler was provided with a megaphone, but again, no avalanche took place.
...a whip crack. Busted Adam theorized that the miniature sonic boom caused by the cracking of a whip could trigger an avalanche, however, no avalanche took place.
...machine gun fire. Busted This myth was started with stories of World War I soldiers setting off avalanches in heavily snowed-in areas with their artillery, thus using them as environmental weapons. Adam and Jamie attempted to test if lower-powered weapons, such as machine guns, could also cause an avalanche. They tested this with a pair of MP5s, though they could not cause an avalanche to start.

Despite the "busted" designation, Jamie emphasized that avalanches are "finicky beasts", and cases of skiers unintentionally setting them off have been noted. Therefore, it's impossible to tell exactly what will trigger an avalanche.

Myth statement Status Notes
A person's tongue can instantly stick to a freezing (below 32°F) metal pole when touched, making it difficult to remove. Confirmed This is the classic "triple dog dare" stunt (from A Christmas Story). Using both Tory's tongue and a pig's, it was determined that a standard human tongue can be frozen to a cold metal pole substantially enough to risk pulling some of the skin and muscle off of the tongue. Kari jokingly suggested that a person could free themselves by peeing on the contact point between pole and tongue.
Driving backwards on an icy road will give you better traction than driving forwards Busted While it was determined that drivers get better traction on an icy road while driving in reverse, when put into practice, the increased traction didn't offset the sheer difficulty of driving in reverse. The Build Team theorized that because driving backwards is so difficult by itself, the ice compounded that difficulty, rendering any additional traction useless.

[edit] Special 13 — "Mythbusters Young Scientists Special"

This epsiode aired first on Science Channel, as opposed to the show's regular home of Discovery Channel. A team of winners in Discovery's "Young Scientist Challenge" competitions tested environmental myths with the team. Former Mythbuster Scottie Chapman returned to assist with a myth.

Myths Tested

[edit] Season 6 and Later

All specials that aired during and after season 6 (except for the "Young Scientists Special", which aired separately from the regular series run) can be found with the regular season episodes.

[edit] Mini Myths

The mini-myths are shown in video clips that are available from the Discovery Channel website.

[edit] "Egg-uinox"

The Egg-uinox myth was perhaps too short to air in any episode, as it was easily and conclusively busted. [3]

Myth statement Status Notes
An egg can be balanced on its ends only during the spring and fall equinox. Busted There is nothing special about the spring and fall equinoxes that allows an egg to balance on end. A person with enough dexterity can do it on any day of the year. Hard boiled eggs balance better than raw eggs, however.

[edit] "Break-Step Bridge"

In a revisit of the Breakstep Bridge myth, Adam and Jamie decide that the suspension bridge that Adam had built was too stable to accurately test, so they build a simple beam bridge and test it under Adam's weight. [4] This test was also aired in MythBusters Outtakes.

Myth statement Status Notes
A bridge can be collapsed by the vibration caused by pedestrian traffic. The theory was soldiers break step on bridge, because if their march gets a resonant frequency of the bridge, it will snap the bridge. Plausible The bridge was able to hold Adam's weight until he started bouncing on it.

[edit] "Mini Shark Myths"

The mini shark myths, while related to Discovery Channel's Shark Week, are not related to the movie Jaws in particular. [5]

Myth statement Status Notes
Sharks tend to be attracted to brighter colors like yellow. Plausible When all the results were calculated, the sharks tested preferred to go for the "yum-yum yellow" seal dummy before the other ones (red, blue, black, white, silver).
Sharks can detect a single drop of blood dropped into a pool of water. Busted The sharks detected fish blood, however they either did not detect human blood or did not care about it. Also, like any scent, the sharks weren't able to detect the blood until their noses came into contact with the blood particles, and the smell grew weaker as the blood got diluted by the water, meaning that a single drop of blood in a particular area of the pool would not be detectable by any shark that was not in that area, and was not swimming right into the blood.
A shark's skin is rough enough to be used as sandpaper. Confirmed When compared to various grains of sandpaper, the sharkskin that Adam and Jamie acquired was comparable to a very high-grain (400 to 600) of sandpaper, and can be used as such, even on a rotary sander.
There is a rule of thumb a casual observer can use to adequately estimate the size of a shark. Busted Out of all the measurements taken of sharks of various species, only one (from nosetip to dorsal fin tip) could consistently be used to estimate the shark's size, and that requires knowledge of the specific shark species and an up-close measurement that might be too difficult and dangerous to be done by a casual observer.

[edit] Outtakes

During live appearances by the Mythbusters, they have screened additional segments that were not aired.

[edit] "Facts About Flatulence"

There were two additional myths addressed in addition to those in the "Franklin's Kite" episode.

Myth statement Status Notes
Attractive women do not pass gas. Busted Kari was fitted with a special panty equipped with a microphone connected to an amplifier and a hydrogen sulfide meter. The meter malfunctioned, giving false positive readings. However, the microphone did record the sound of a released flatus. [6]
A flatus can be ignited. Confirmed Adam had some initial performance anxiety, but finally did release a flatus that could be ignited by a butane lighter.[7] The flammable methane within a regular flatus, despite only making up about 7% of the flatus' gasses, is still enough to set it alight upon release (when it first contacts and mixes with the air, but before it can diffuse altogether).

[edit] "MythBusters Teeth Challenge"

Less a challenge than an inside joke. The MythBusters received many e-mails from fans complaining about Adam's brown teeth. This was originally planned for the "Steam Cannon" episode. However, on the Discovery Europe version, it is included in the episode.

Myth statement Status Notes
Of all the MythBusters, Adam is the one with the brownest teeth. Busted, then Confirmed Jamie, Adam, Tory, and Grant all had their teeth checked by Kari. At first Jamie was the one with the brownest teeth, not Adam. However, after hearing the news, he had his teeth bleached to make them white again. After this, Adam did have the brownest teeth. The overall result, from best to worst that is like Jamie: Grant, Tory, Adam, and finally Jamie (before his bleaching).

[edit] BBC Two re-edited half hour shows

This film, television, or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

BBC Two's editions of Mythbusters are narrated by Rufus Hound in an energetic and irreverent style.

Date broadcast Myths
July 27, 2006 Penny Drop, Who Gets Wetter?, Exploding Toilet
August 3, 2006 CD-Rom Shattering, Silicone Breasts, Cell Phone Destruction
September 7, 2006 Lightning Strikes Tongue Piercing, Cola Myths (partial; cleaning blood, pennies and chrome, dissolving teeth and steaks), Hammer Bridge Drop
September 14, 2006 JATO Car, Pop Rocks and Soda (called "Space Dust" in the British narration, as it is the more common name for Pop Rocks in the UK)
September 21, 2006 Buried Alive, Beat the Breath Test
September 28, 2006 Explosive Decompression, Rear Axle, Frog Giggin'
October 5, 2006 Mad Trombonist, Goldfish Memory, Down with the Titanic
October 12, 2006 Escape from Alcatraz, Mind Control Chips, Does a Duck's Quack Echo?
October 19, 2006 Row Skiing, Surprise Toothbrush, Breakstep Bridge
October 31, 2006 The Hunt for Hoffa, Daddy Long-Legs, Jet Taxi
November 7, 2006 Lawn Chair Balloon, Poppy Seed Drug Test, Goldfinger
November 14, 2006 Chicken Gun (frozen or thawed?), Killer Laundry!
February 19, 2007 Vacuum Toilet, Exploding Shopping

[edit] References

  1. ^ "22,000 Foot Fall"

[edit] External links

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